


Unrequited

by the_problem_with_stardust



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Hale Twins, Mutual Pining, Pining, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-07-27 14:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16221413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_problem_with_stardust/pseuds/the_problem_with_stardust
Summary: Braeden froze. Agree to pretend-date her best friend? What a stupid idea. Even though their late-night conversations included the fact that neither of them were straight, Laura had never shown interest. Which sucked since Braeden had been head over heels for three goddamn years.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first contribution to [#twfemfri!](https://tw-femslash-friday.tumblr.com/) A little late, but I'm doing my best

 

“If you keep staring at your phone like that, it might burst into flames.”

Braeden startled at the voice, too preoccupied with fuming over the last text she’d received to notice her roommate getting home.

“Hey, Laura.” She tossed the phone onto the coffee table and picked up her open bottle of beer.

Laura sank down beside her on the couch. “What’s going on?”

“The ‘rents are being themselves. Nothing new.” Braeden should have known drinking before noon would send up warning signals.

“I know what you mean,” Laura said, situating herself with her icy feet tucked under Braeden’s thigh. “My parents keep badgering me about bringing someone home for family Christmas.”

“Still?” It was kind of an ongoing feud in the Hale household.

“It’s worse this year. All of my siblings are bringing someone.”

Braeden barely hid a grin. “Even your dorky twin?” She’d only met Derek once, but he made quite the impression.

“Don’t remind me,” Laura groaned, head in her hands. “He’s disgustingly in love, and his boyfriend sounds perfect.”

“Laura, you’ll be fine.”

Peeking between her fingers, Laura met Braeden’s eyes. “What we need to do is hire someone to be my escort. I mean, just look at all of the rom-coms.”

Braeden snorted. There really was no need to _hire_ an escort. Laura was gorgeous. Most people would probably pay to be her date. Including Braeden herself, but that was a thought she killed quickly.

Taking advantage of her distraction, Laura pulled the beer from Braeden’s hands and took a sip. “Fine. There are my problems. What are your holiday plans like?”

Immediately, Braeden’s mood darkened. “Well, I got a text this morning saying the ‘rents were leaving for Spain.”

“Right now?” Laura sounded just as surprised as Braeden had felt. “The semester isn’t over yet.”

Braeden sighed, scrubbing a hand over her face. Finals week was over in two days. Why couldn’t they wait two more days? “That’s what I said.”

“What are you going to do?” Laura’s eyes were sad. Braeden hated it when she looked sad.

She stole the beer back. It was almost gone. “Buy a shit ton of ramen, catch up on Netflix, try not to burn the house down.”

“Will they be back for Christmas?”

“Nope, they’re gone through New Year’s.”

“So you are going to be all alone for the entire break?”

“Yeah, but it’s no big deal.” Except that it kind of was. Braeden rarely got to see her extended family. “Maybe I’ll buy some Christmas cookies if I feel festive.” There would be no point decorating with just one person around.

Silence fell between them, unbroken except for the whisper of the wind around the corner of the apartment building. Braeden picked at the label on the beer bottle.

“There might be a way to solve both of our problems.” Laura looked hesitant.

“Spill.” Braeden got up from the couch, empty bottle in hand.

Laura’s words tumbled out in a rush. “Would you be comfortable coming as my pretend date?”

Braeden froze. Agree to pretend-date her best friend? What a stupid idea. Even though their late-night conversations included the fact that neither of them were straight, Laura had never shown interest. Which sucked, since Braeden had been head over heels for three goddamn years.

“If not, that is totally fine.” Laura back-tracked immediately, a panicked look on her face. “You are still welcome.”

Steeling herself, Braeden dropped the bottle in the recycling. When she turned around, her face was a mask of nonchalance. “What the hell, it should be fun.”

 -----

 In the end, Braeden’s only condition was that she got to drive. Laura’s parents lived three hours from school and there was no way she was going to sit and stew in her thoughts the whole time. So, after her last exam, Braeden rushed back to their apartment and threw her bag into the trunk of Laura’s SUV. Her bike wasn’t suited for the snow, plus it’d probably be in storage until late March or early April.

Laura was waiting by the door, ready to go. Within minutes they were peeling out of town, tires singing on asphalt and music thrumming through the speakers. When Braeden turned to Laura, she knew she was grinning. She had forgotten how much she loved road trips. Laura tried to match her smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Uh-oh. “What’s up?”

She reached over and turned the volume down. “We should probably come up with some sort of plan.”

Annnd the fun was gone. Braeden wasn’t just going to be hanging out with her best friend, she was going to be lying to her family and also to herself.

“How long have we been together?”

“What’s believable? We’ve been living together for three years, and we just up and decided to start dating?”

Laura sighed. “Maybe two months ago? When we went to that festival?”

Come to think of it, most of the things they did could be perceived as couple-y. “Sure.

“What about terms of endearment?”

“What?” Eyes trained on the road, Braeden tried not to tense.

“You know, like pet names.”

“You already call me Rae.”

Laura laughed, and Braeden didn’t have to take her eyes off the highway to imagine her, head thrown back, eyes sparking with mirth. Damn she was screwed.

“PDA?”

Braeden’s brain ground to a halt. “Huh?”

“Public displays of affection?”

“Mierda, Laura. I know what PDA means.”

This time, her laugh was a little strained. Braeden sighed.

“Just go with what feels natural. Your family knows you, so do whatever you would normally do.”

They drove in silence for the next few miles. Out of the corner of her eye, Braeden could see Laura’s head droop.

“Hey, if you want to sleep, I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure?”

“Wouldn’t have said so if I wasn’t.”

Laura smiled softly. “Thanks, Rae.”

With that, she curled against the window, knees drawn up onto the seat. If Braeden hadn’t seen her sleeping in stranger positions, she would have wondered about her being uncomfortable.

For a second, Braeden watched her out of the corner of her eye, dark hair spilling over her shoulders, face relaxed. She needed to take some time to distance herself; there was no way she would let this little escapade ruin the best friendship she’d ever had.

\-----

Laura was probably supposed to text someone when they got close, but Braeden didn’t have the heart to wake her. She waited until the SUV was parked to the side of a long dirt driveway, behind an unfamiliar blue Jeep. No wonder Laura had four-wheel drive. The driveway was probably a mess when it rained.

Slipping out of the driver’s seat, Braeden made her way over to the other side. She swung open the passenger door and gently swept Laura’s messy hair out of her face.

“Come on, Hale,” she said, shaking her arm. “Wakey wakey. Don’t make me meet your family on my own.”

Sleepy eyes peered up at her.

“That’s it. We just have to go in and say hello. Then you can go back to sleep.”

Laura mumbled something, then clicked the seatbelt free.

Braeden laughed quietly. “Let me know when you join the living again.”

She grabbed both duffels and her backpack out of the trunk while Laura tried to navigate her way to the front door. It was always strange, how long she took to wake up. But, after three years, Braeden had just learned to roll with occasionally having a zombie for a best friend.

On the porch, Braeden rang the bell. While she waited, she shifted the duffle bags to one shoulder and caught Laura’s hand. Which apparently meant she was now responsible for supporting half of Laura’s weight as well.

The door flew open, revealing a younger carbon copy of Laura. Mrs. Hale was close behind, still dressed in her work clothes.

“I knew it!” Cora shrieked, running back into the house.

Mrs. Hale watched her go with a sigh. “Welcome to our home, Braeden. We’ve heard so much about you.”

“Thank you, ma’am. And thank you for having me.”

“Of course!” Mrs. Hale stepped out of the way, taking Laura’s pink duffle from Braeden as she passed by. “Make yourself at home.”

Inside was warm and loud. There was music and chatter and Christmas decorations _everywhere_. A delicious smell emanated from the kitchen, where Mr. Hale and Derek were working side-by-side.

Braeden dropped the bags in the entryway where Mrs. Hale told her to, then followed her deeper into the house. Laura was starting to look like a functioning human being but didn’t let go of the death grip she had on Braeden’s hand.

There were hugs and introductions and Braeden immediately felt lost. She was an only child and Laura had five siblings, though only Derek, Cora, and their adopted brother Isaac were home. Derek’s boyfriend was named Stiles, Cora’s current date-mate was named Lydia, and Isaac’s girlfriend was named Allison. Which wasn’t many, but it still felt overwhelming.

Braeden was glad when it was time for food. She sat beside Laura, hooking their ankles together and fidgeting the napkin on her lap. Laura paused in the story about the squirrel that got into their apartment she was recounting to Stiles, so she could place a hand over Braeden’s, grounding her.

The gesture didn’t go unnoticed.

“I had a feeling it was going to be you,” Mr. Hale said.

Braeden swallowed, throat suddenly dry. “Really?”

“She’s talked about you constantly since the day you met,” Mrs. Hale explained, smiling across the table at her husband. “First we heard all about this ‘Ramirez,’ then ‘Ramirez’ became ‘Braeden,’ which eventually became ‘Rae’.”

Isaac, who hadn’t said anything up to that point, smirked into his lasagna. “Could also be because she thinks it’s super hot when you speak Spanish on the phone.”

Luckily, Braeden was saved from having to react by Laura choking on her salad. She patted her on the back, mind reeling a bit.

“Plus you kicked her ex-boyfriend’s ass and she waxed poetic about it for _months_.”

Cora winced suddenly, and Braeden got the feeling Lydia had stepped on her foot with a pointy stiletto underneath the table. At least someone was on her side.

But Lydia’s gaze was slightly to the right of her. Where Laura was blushing in a way Braeden hadn’t seen since the time she accidentally walked in on her and her ex in the living room. Her eyes were fixed on her plate, shoulders tense.

Braeden was the one to reach out this time. She brought their clasped hands to her mouth, pressing her lips to the back of Laura’s. “You’re too cute, carina,” she murmured, and Laura’s breathing stuttered.

The conversation turned to Stiles and Derek, who – like Laura said – were disgustingly in love. Stiles had an arm around Derek’s shoulders, occasionally trailing a finger behind his boyfriend’s ear, smiling when he shivered. They were talking about moving in together since they were both at Stanford.

Then Cora and Lydia and Allison and Isaac had their turns which meant Braeden got to enjoy her dessert in peace. Out of habit, she pushed bits of blueberry to the edge of her plate and blatantly stole the cherries off of Laura’s.

Finally, they made it upstairs to the bedroom. Laura had previously shared the room down the hall with Cora until one of her older brothers – was it Dominic or Alex? Braeden couldn’t remember – moved away to college.

Braeden wasn’t sure how she was going to handle Hale Family Christmas. If the house was this chaotic with just Laura, Cora, Derek, Isaac, and their significant others, how much crazier would it get? She knew Dominic and Alex were coming with their families, along with some extended family and possibly Derek’s two best friends. Maybe they could all get nametags or something.

“ – Rae?”

“Yeah?” Braeden snapped out of her thoughts, turning back to Laura, who was now clad in her pajamas.

“I said that I could sleep on the floor.” Laura suddenly looked awkward. “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, since I talked you into this and it’s your break too.”

Braeden rolled her eyes. “Seriously? After three years of falling asleep on my bed while we watch movies?”

Laura shrugged, cheeks tinged pink. Braeden rifled through her duffle bag until she came up with her pajamas and could lock herself away in the ensuite. She braced her hands on the sink and let her head hang between her shoulders. Apparently, she was an absolute sucker for punishment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what is proof reading? editing? no clue. 
> 
> apologies in advance

Braeden woke to weak winter light filtering across the sheets. On the other side of the bed, Laura was still more or less in the same position she had fallen asleep in. Braeden was disappointed they hadn’t drifted closer during the night. Laura was a first-rate cuddle buddy.

Almost as if she felt the weight of eyes on her, Laura stirred.

“You’re gonna have to tell me where your coffee is, Laura,” Braeden said, voice loud in the early stillness.

Mumbling, Laura buried her head in her pillow. Braeden leaned closer, managing to decipher something along the lines of ‘ask Derek.’

Braeden fought the urge to drop a kiss on Laura’s forehead and rolled out of bed. She carefully tugged the blankets back over her sleeping friend and slipped out into the hall.

Sure enough, Derek was sitting at the kitchen table with the coffee maker started. There were notes and sketches scattered around him. Some of the diagrams looked familiar, but Braeden definitely didn’t remember Laura saying Derek had changed his major to engineering.

He startled when she picked up a piece of graph paper.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” She set it back down, running her hand along the cabinets and opening random doors until she found the mugs.

Unhelpful, Derek watched her as she picked the pun covered mug that _had_ to belong to Laura. Then she opened the fridge, debating between milk and cream. Laura usually just put milk in her coffee because they were college students living off of ramen and beer, but she preferred cream when available.

 She filled the mug and added the cream, watching the color change until it reached the perfect shade. Coffee was the worst, so she had no idea how one was actually supposed to make it. But Laura always knew exactly which blend of tea she needed to calm down or snap out of a funk, despite not drinking ‘gross leaf water’ herself. Learning to make her coffee wasn’t exactly a hardship.

“So,” Derek began, reminding her where she was and who she was with. “When did you and Laura start dating?”

Braeden shifted to lean against the counter, facing him. “We went to a festival, a couple of months back.”

“And then what? Just decided you wanted to date? After three years?”

Reaching back for the mug, Braeden snorted. “Stiles has been good for you.” The Derek she met two years ago was incredibly shy, unable to string an entire sentence together.

His expression softened at the mention of his boyfriend. “Yeah. He’s wonderful.”

It would’ve been sickening if he wasn’t so earnest.

“Right.” Braeden pushed away from the counter. “I’m going to take this up to the zombie. But you should probably talk to her about all of this. When she’s more awake.”

 “Don’t you want coffee?” He frowned, like he was trying to work out her angle.

Braeden made a face. “I’m really more of a tea person.”

Derek stared at her, in her pjs, mug in hand, and shook his head. “You are awesome.”

With that confusing statement, he turned back to his notes. Recognizing dismissal when she saw it, Braeden took her leave.

Laura was almost asleep again when Braeden set her mug down on the bedside table. Braeden wanted to ask about the strange conversation with Derek, but she was familiar enough with morning Laura to know that she wouldn’t get actual thoughts out of her yet.

“I’m going to take a shower and get ready, okay?”

Laura looked up from the mug and nodded, murmuring a quiet, “thanks.”

Since she hadn’t had the chance to wash her hair during finals week, Braeden took her time working shampoo and conditioner into the strands. The Hale’s hot water heater was infinitely better than the one in her and Laura’s apartment; the shower was still warm when she stepped out.

Her jeans clung to her skin in the humid air, but Braeden managed to get them on and pull a tshirt over her head. Rubbing leave-in conditioner was the last step, before leaving her hair alone to airdry. Braeden took one last look in the mirror and straightened her shoulders. Time to see if Laura had managed to stay awake.

The person in question was curled up under the covers, empty mug on the nightstand. At least she had managed to get dressed. Braeden could see jeans and an ugly Christmas sweater peeking out from under the quilt.

She lowered herself down to the side of the bed, smoothing a hand over Laura’s hair until her cloudy eyes blinked back open. Normally, Braeden would just grab her roommate by the ankle and drag her off the mattress, but this morning felt too soft to disturb. All of the lovey dovey nonsense must have gone to her head.

Shaking the thoughts away, Braeden dropped her hand to her lap. “Hey there, carina. You gotta get up. We have a big day today.”

“Five more minutes.” Laura rolled away, yanking the quilt over her face.

Braeden pulled the quilt back down. “If you can put that many words together, you can get up.”

Laura groaned and covered her face with Braeden’s unoccupied pillow.

“I’ll braid your hair if you sit up,” Braeden wheedled.

Contemplating, Laura peeked over the pillow. It was almost comical to watch her weigh her options, eventually reaching a conclusion and sitting up. Braeden slid behind her, using the pillows to make the headboard into a more comfortable backrest.

Once satisfied, she swept Laura’s long hair into one hand and used the other to gently work out some of the tangles. Movement drew her eye to the doorway, just in time to see Mrs. Hale sneak away. An odd feeling settled in Braeden’s stomach, but she ignored it in favor of working a fishtail braid down Laura’s back.

They trudged into the kitchen just as Mrs. Hale was serving breakfast. Mr. Hale was finishing the last few pancakes on the stove, wearing a ridiculous ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron. Looking at the sleepy faces around the table and the empty chairs for Cora and Lydia, Braeden decided that Derek and Mr. Hale must be the only morning people in the house.

“I can help with breakfast tomorrow morning,” she offered.

Mrs. Hale laughed. “Thank you, Braeden. But waking Laura is basically a full-time job.”

Laura grumbled a little at that, loading her plate with bacon.

“It’s already part of my routine,” Braeden said with a shrug. Which was for the most part true, though she rarely doted on her roommate the way she did this morning. There was definitely more banging on doors and getting dragged out of bed after Braeden got sick of hearing her alarm go off ten times in a row.

Setting the pancake platter on the already crowded table, Mr. Hale asked, “What is everyone up to today?”

Finally awake, Laura set down her fork. “Rae and I are going window shopping and then to see the lights.”

“That sounds wonderful!” Mrs. Hale nodded to Derek, “Are you two going as well?”

Laura rolled her eyes. “No, they are not, and they weren’t invited. I want some time to show my girlfriend around.”

“Fine by me, it’s too cold to go tramping around outside anyway.” Stiles wrapped his arms around Derek as he stood, content to just bury his face in Derek’s hair.

Luckily, the interruption drew Derek’s attention away from Braeden because she didn’t know what her face did when Laura used the g-word. It was probably on par with a full-bodied flinch or a punch in the gut.

Despite her momentary lapse, Braeden managed to recover, reaching for Laura’s hand when she finished and tugging her towards the entryway. Bundled up, they wandered through town to a park that was lit up and beautiful, snowflakes catching in Laura’s eyelashes and hair.

“How do you feel about hot chocolate?” Braeden asked, letting Laura catch her elbow with mittened hands, plastering up against her side.

They stopped at a few shops, bickering about whether or not peanut brittle was considered a candy. On their way back to the Hales, the snow picks up, big fat flakes drift lazily through the light cast by the street lamps

Dinner was loud. Alex and Dominic showed up with their wives, setting up air mattresses in the basement. Braeden did her best to blend into the background and avoid conversation until everyone had finished eating. Mrs. Hale kicked her out of the kitchen when she offered to help with cleaning up, so Braeden hid in the living room watching movies with Stiles and Derek.

Laura eventually wandered in, right as Braeden was teaching Isaac, Derek, and Stiles how to swear like a Spaniard. Much to her parent’s dismay, Braeden had made it her mission to assimilate completely with her classmates, to the point that people were usually shocked to learn that English wasn’t her first language. However, the one thing she frequently indulged in was her ability to creatively curse in ways that would have made her forefathers proud.

“Laura!” Stiles yelled from where he was sprawled on the floor. “Where did you find Braeden? She’s the best.”

Derek chuckled, kicking lightly at his boyfriend’s hip. “You only say that because she agrees that Die Hard is a Christmas movie.”

“I said what I said.” Stiles wriggled out of reach of Derek’s feet.

Why he didn’t just get on the couch with his boyfriend, Braeden had no idea. They were comfortable around each other in a way that almost made her jealous. Like their best friend had turned out to be their soulmate.

Laura looked from the seat between Derek and Isaac to where Braeden sat in the overstuffed armchair. With a lopsided smile, she draped herself over Braeden’s lap, squirming until she was tucked into Braeden’s chest with her legs flung over the arm of the chair.

“We’re still not watching Die Hard.”

As long as Laura stayed this close, Braeden wasn’t complaining.

 

 

In the middle of the night, Braeden jerked awake to the sound of rain. Even in her half-conscious state, she knew that wasn’t a good sign. By morning the power was out, the chill sinking through the walls and ice frosting over the window panes.

The Hales were a mess without coffee. Mr. Hale smiled at Braeden when she entered the kitchen, gas stove already burning and a pot of water heating. They managed to make do with a dusty box of instant coffee, and Braeden frowned at the resulting sludge as she climbed the dimly lit stairs.

“Hey Laura,” she said, sitting down close enough to jostle her sleeping friend.

Laura made an unhappy sound and burrowed deeper into the covers. It was much colder than it had been when Braeden left the room and a draft from the window sent chills across her skin.

It took two cups of coffee for Laura to respond, which was better than Braeden expected. She even managed to sit up and wrapped herself in blankets, but refused to get out of bed. Braeden just laughed at her disgruntled expression and crawled in beside her.

After the warmth from the coffee had left Braeden’s fingers, Mrs. Hale poked her head into the room. “’Morning, girls. We’re going to lie low and try to stay warm today. Your dad is going to Peter’s house to get a generator.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Braeden said, earning herself a warm smile.

They settled into bed, Laura handing over whatever books were in reach of the bed so they could read by the faint light from outside. It didn’t take long before Braeden couldn’t ignore Laura’s shivering anymore. She set down her book and scooted closer under the covers, wrapping an arm around Laura’s shoulder

“What are you doing?”

Braeden snorted. “Just trying to keep my girlfriend from freezing to death.” But she could feel the tension in Laura’s muscles easing as she stopped shaking.

The day dragged on, the sun never brightening the room enough to read comfortably. Braeden rubbed the strain from her eyes, eventually tugging Laura out of bed to bundle up and scout out some food.

They made pb&js for dinner and Mr. Hale lit a legion of candles, sending flickering shadows across everyone’s faces. Laura stayed pressed close against Braeden’s side, like she was still trying to steal her body heat.

At five, it was truly dark.

“Want to just go back to bed?” Braeden asked, as Isaac tossed a deck of cards onto the table, listening to whatever game Stiles was explaining with rapid-fire words and huge hand gestures.

Laura watched her twin for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. It’s too cold down here.”

By the time they made it to the room, Laura’s teeth were chattering. Braeden shook her head before sliding into bed, waiting for her to peel off the winter coat, snow pants and slippers she had somehow acquired. Once she was back to her hoodie and flannel pants, Braeden pulled her close into the curve of her body.

“Thanks Rae,” Laura mumbled into the pillow.

Braeden held her breath, watching Laura slip into sleep beside her.

 

Braeden was warm, and it took a moment to place where she was. Laura sprawled on top of her, their limbs tangled together. After a moment, she registered the hum of the heater. They had power back. Carefully, she extracted herself from the bed.

Laura woke up enough to mumble a protest.

“I’m just going to get you coffee, querida.” Braeden froze, but Laura wasn’t awake enough to register the term of endearment.

Derek was already up, making coffee. He handed Braeden a mug and said, “we need to talk,” with eyebrows as stern as his mothers.

Braeden toyed with the mug in her hands. “Okay. I’ll be back in a sec.”

She poked Laura until she groaned and sat up, accepting the coffee with a slurred thanks. Braeden watched her for a moment, then turned around to see Derek there, watching.

“Joder! Creep much?”

“Grab your coat.”

She shrugged on the outerwear and headed out into the snow, Derek leading her to the gazebo in the backyard.

It was quiet until Braeden sighed. “What is going on?”

“You guys aren’t dating,” Derek said, blunt.

“Why do you say that?”

“There is no way Laura wouldn’t have told me.”

He had said it before. Braeden stuffed her hands deeper in her pockets and wished she had thought to grab her gloves on the way out. “What do you want me to say?”

“Why did you agree to come?”

Braeden breathed, watching the wind carry the condensation away. “My entire family is in Spain and Laura didn’t want me to be alone for the holidays.”

“But why as her girlfriend? Why not just as friends?”

“She said she was sick of being harassed.”

Derek nodded, like it was the answer he’d expected. “If you care about her, you have to be honest. You can’t just lead her on.”

Braeden snorted. “Trust me, she isn’t the one being led on.”

“What?”

“I had a crush on her since day one.”

He shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but you two need to talk. Now.”

Braeden stumbled back inside, knocking the loose snow off her boots. She snagged a second cup of coffee on her way upstairs. For a moment, she sat silently on the bed, resting a hand on Laura’s shoulder and smoothing her thumb along her shoulder blade.

Laura stirred and rolled towards her, blinking in her sleepy befuddled state. “Rae?”

Braeden pulled herself out of her thoughts and smiled slightly. “Morning, Laura.”

But something in her expression must have been off because Laura pulled herself into a seated position, doubling her efforts to blink the sleep out of her eyes. Braeden passed her the coffee, which she sipped mechanically.

With a pat on the leg, Braeden got up to go get ready.

Laura caught her hand. “Rae. Stop.”

She froze in place, not moving until Laura tugged at her hand.

“Talk to me.”

So she let herself be pulled back onto the bed, not meeting Laura’s eyes. “Your brother cornered me today.”

Laura blanched. “What did he say?”

“He accused me of leading you on.” Braeden let out a bitter laugh

“Is that funny?”

Braeden took a breath, then let the words fall. “I told him you weren’t the one who was being led on.”

A ringing silence followed the admission.

“I should go.” She barely stopped to grab her boots, already planning and escape route.

“Rae.”

She opened the bedroom door, managing to tug on her boots as she went.

“Braeden, wait.” Laura’s protest broke off into a torrent of profanity.

She hit the snow-covered road outside, registering the sound of running footsteps behind her. But Braeden didn’t stop, shoulders hunched and hands shoved in her sweatpants pockets. She’d forgotten to grab her gloves again.

“Listen to me, asshole.”

Braeden stopped, smiling despite her tumultuous emotions.

Laura caught her shoulder, pulling her around to face her. “You think you can just drop that bomb and run away?”

“I was just giving you some space,” Braeden said, the lie falling flat.

“Idiot.” Laura reached up and kissed her.

Braeden’s eyes fluttered open. “What?”

Laura huffed. “I’ve wanted to do that since you waltzed into our dorm, all suave as hell.”

“Seriously?”

“Is that so hard to believe?”

“But I thought…”

“that your feelings were unrequited? Yeah me too.”

Braeden let out a breathy laugh. “So what does that make us?”

Laura shivered. “Can we talk about this inside?”

Finally stopping to look at Laura, Braeden swore. She didn’t have shoes and was wearing a tank top and pajama pants.

“Moron.” She immediately shucked her coat and passed it to Laura.

They made it back to Laura’s room, coffee gone cold on the nightstand. Braeden was careful to wrap her up in blankets and pull her against her chest.

“The first time you called me Rae.”

“What?” Laura lifted her head to meet her eyes.

Braeden traced over her cheekbone, “That was when I knew I was a goner.”

“So we’re together for real now?”

“Yeah, for real this time.”

Laura dragged her into another kiss, just as Derek walked through the door.

“Oh, good.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, a nervous tick that seemed very Stiles-like. “You sorted your shit out. Dad says breakfast is ready.”

**Author's Note:**

> Rebloggable post and edit [HERE!](https://theproblemwithstardust.tumblr.com/post/178832034539/unrequited-3k-laurabraeden-background)


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